Things Change
by peacefulsands
Summary: There was a time not too long ago when Alec would have made good on a clean, easy escape; but not now, not without them.


**Title** : Things Change

**Author** : peaceful_sands

**Fandom** : Dark Angel

**Rating** : PG-13

**Word Count** : approx. 700

Prompt : _Dark Angel, Alec, Sketch, OC, Normal, There was a time not too long ago when he would have made good on a clean, easy escape; but not now, not without them._

**Disclaimer** : All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p><strong><span>Things Change<span>**

Alec paced the length of the cell angrily. He needed to think clearly and he was too riled to do that now and for the moment he was going to burn some of the pent up energy in an attempt to calm himself down so that he could come up with a plan.

It wasn't like this wasn't something he could get himself out of. Seriously if White got here, he'd beef up the security and have a few heads for leaving a Transgenic in such easily escaped conditions. It only emphasized why Alec needed to act now.

Normal looked sorrowful on the other side of the room, almost cowering in the corner and Alec felt another surge of guilt. He and the other X5s had brought this down on everyone at Jam Pony. They were all just lucky that the only people on-site at the time of the raid had been Normal, Sketchy and O.C.

Alec reached the wall, drew his fist back to punch it but thought better of it at the last second, pulling the movement short and letting his palm slap against the wall instead as he expelled a frustrated breath of air.

"Alec?" Alec hung his head at the sound of Normal's voice. This was his fault; he'd never heard Normal sound less sure of himself.

"It'll be okay. They'll let you go soon," Alec reassured.

"I doubt it. Employing an X-5 it's not exactly going to go in my favour, is it? Anyway, what about you?"

Alec turned back, moving to sit down on the floor, eyes coming up to meet Normal's sadly as he said, "If I'm lucky, I'll be kept somewhere like this for the rest of my life."

"Lucky?"

Alec just nodded in reply to Normal's question, too tired to try and cover over the truth. "I'll tell them you didn't know. I'll make sure they let you all go and . . . just get word to Max and she and the others will leave – you'll all be safe, I promise."

"But you'll still be in here. . . Couldn't you escape?"

Alec huffed a resigned laugh, "Sure, but that would leave you all here and I can't do that."

"Well, how do we all get out? There has to be a way. How would you get out?"

Alec tilted his head towards the locked door, "It's not really strong enough to hold me, but then I couldn't . . . if I ran, you couldn't keep up and . . . when I looked through the door there were keys to the other cells on the wall opposite, if I stopped to undo the door for O.C. and Sketchy then . . . the guards would come . . . I couldn't fight them and . . ."

"What if you faced the guards and I unlocked the doors? What if we ran as fast as we could to get out and then hid and you – you, I don't know, you laid a false trail or something?"

"What if one of you got hurt? And when we're out, where will you go? You can't go back to Jam Pony."

"If we don't get out, at the very least you get hurt . . . badly, maybe permanently. You think that is better than at least trying to escape."

Alec looked at him, surprised at the sincerity in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I never meant to bring this down on you."

Normal shrugged, "I've also taken the ups with the downs of having my Golden Boy around. I think it's worth a try."

And so that was how Alec found himself fighting two guards, flanked by Sketchy and O.C., who evidently had both a mean right hook and a stunning roundhouse kick as Normal struggled on the floor with another guard, trying to hold him long enough for Alec to finish his two off and come and help. It's how he found himself on the run with the first real friends, the first people he really wanted to protect, the first people he would have willingly and by his own choice laid down his life for.


End file.
